| Notes |
- Things to do:
1. Look in Brentwood CA newspapers 1880-1910, for articles and wedding, birth, death of Arthur, etc.
2. Look in Colfax WA newspapers 1910-1918 for articles.
3. Look in Winner's letters for info
4. Do I have a will and death cert? for both Laura and Walter?
Timeline:
1868 Walter born Berry Street, San Francisco, CA
1870 Census, Walter age 2, living with parents San Francisco, CA
1880 Census, Walter age 11, living with parents Contra Costa County, CA
1892 Oct listed in California voter registration, age 24, farmer in Briones Valley residence, Brentwood
post office, 5 foot 10 in tall, fair complexion, hazel eyes, dark hair, left leg shorter,
1893 Marriage Certificate -Walter and Laura in Brentwood, Contra Costa, CA
1894 daughter, Hazel, born, Brentwood, CA
1896 June California voter registration, farmer in Brentwood
1896 son, Ernest Russell, born Brentwood, CA
1898 daughter, Gladyce, born, Brentwood, CA
1900 Census, Walter age 33 Contra Costa County, CA; living with wife, Laura, and three children,
Hazel, Russell, & Gladyce,.
1900 Oct; son, Winner, born, Brentwood, CA
1901 & 1902, he is listed as a blacksmith living at 4164 17th Street, San Francisco. He shoed horses for
the San Francisco Streetcars.
1902 Aug; son, Arthur, born, Brentwood, CA
1907 Sep, 5; son, Arthur, died in Brentwood while Walter was on business selling farm equip. in
Washington.
1907 Sep 19; son, Edgar, born Brentwood, CA
1910 Census, Walter, age 42, Diamond, Whitman, Washington; living with wife, Laura, and five
children, Hazel, Russell, Gladyce, Winner, & Edgar
1912 daughter, Hazel married in Whitman County, Washington
1917 daughter, Gladyce married in Dayton, Washington.
1918 Walter, Laura, and son Edgar moved back to Brentwood, CA to farm left him by his mother
1920 Census, Walter, age 51, House Construction; Oak St., Brentwood, Contra Costa County, CA; living
with wife, Laura, and Edgar and 2 boarders in construction.
1923 Walter fell off ladder while picking apples in Wenatchee, WA.
1930 Jan 22, Walter died of bladder cancer in San Francisco.
1930 Census, Laura living in Oakland, Alameda, CA with daughter, Gladyce and husband Pete Ping
1940 Census, Laura living in Sacramento, CA with daughter, Gladyce and husband Pete Ping
1940 Aug 7, Laura died of old age. She had been with her son, Winner in Oregon and Gladyce had gone
to Oregon to bring her home to live with her and her husband Pete Ping. Laura was in a rest home
at the time of her death at age 74.
Walter Winner Collis and Laura Susan Grigsby were married 4 Oct 1893 in Brentwood, Contra Costa County, California. They met in Brentwood where their parents had adjoining farms. Her wedding veil was adorned with live orange blossoms. They were the parents of 6 children; Hazel, Ernest (known as Russell), Gladyce, Winner, Arthur, and Edgar. Five of the children lived to adulthood. Arthur died as a young child. They lived in Brentwood behind Walter's blacksmith shop later moving to Colfax, Washington, then back again to Brentwood.
Laura was born 2 Jul 1866 in Napa County where her parents had met and married. She was the oldest of 4 children, all of which attended school in Brentwood, California. Her father was a successful farmer there. Her mother was often ill, and many times Laura stayed home from school to care for her mother. She was an accomplished piano and organ player. When her husband died, Laura moved to Oregon to be with her son, Winner, but was soon retrieved by her daughter, Gladyce, who brought her to live her last days in Sacramento. Laura died in 1940 at the age of 74 from heart disease.
Walter Winner Collis was born 14 Sept 1868 at 130 Berry Street, San Francisco, California, Walter was the 8th of 10 children born to William and Ann (Randall) Collis of England. William Collis, is listed in the 1868-1874 San Francisco directory as having a saloon and residence at that address. It is reputed to have been nice real estate at that time. In the 1888 San Francisco directory, Walter was listed as a lamplighter and trimmer for The Cal Electric Light Co. in San Francisco, living at 1517 Vallejo Street. (is this our Walter Collis?) Before the turn of the century he was a grain farmer in Brentwood, Contra Costa County, California. My father, Russell Collis, said that farming was never his best occupation. In 1902, he is listed as a blacksmith living at 4164 17th Street in San Francisco. He shod horses for the San Francisco Streetcars. In 1906, during the earthquake, he and his family were living behind the blacksmith shop in Brentwood, California. He later worked for the Holt Harvestor Company as a traveling salesman, demonstrating and selling equipment. His family was living in Berkeley during that time. He was sent to Washington State and was there in 1907, when his son, Arthur, choked to death. Aunt Gladyce remembers the body lying in the living room for about one week while they waited for Dad to return for the funeral. Two weeks after Arthur's death, Laura gave birth to her sixth child, Edgar. The family moved to Diamond, Washington and in the 1910 census he is listed again as a blacksmith in his own shop.
The following information was told to me by Russell Collis in January of 1976.
"In 1910 the family (Walter Winner's family) moved to Diamond, Washington. Walter worked in a blacksmith shop there. In 1918, Walter inherited $700 from his mother. He took Laura, Edgar, a cow and the furniture on a freight train back to Brentwood to 40 acres of property left to Laura by her father, Erasmus Grigsby. Walter nearly died of the flu. Gladyce and Hazel had both married in Washington. Russell and Winner both stayed to work."
"In 1923 Walter, Laura and Edgar returned to Washington for Bertha and Russell's wedding and then went on to Wenatchee, Washington, to pick apples. Walter fell off the ladder onto his back. He later developed kidney and bladder problems attributed to the fall. They called it cancer. It was hardening of the bladder. The bladder was like granite inside and they would chip it off in chips. Walter was never really well after that. Doctor Regen and Doctor Reynolds at the University hospital in San Francisco wanted to operate. The cost of $150, Walter felt was too high and the county owed him something after all these years. He went to the County Hospital in Martinez. It didn't help and when he went back to University Hospital, it was too late. He died there in 1930 at age 61.
He left the farm in debt and it was taken over by the bank shortly after his death. Farming was not his best interest." "Walter played the coronet well and he played any kind of brass instrument. He played in the band in Diamond for a while. He also played the mouth organ well. He had a short leg and walked with a limp, but he was a very strong, husky man. He could pick up a one hundred-fifty pound anvil by the horn and hold it straight out at arm's length. He also was an expert swimmer and at one time made a wager he could swim the river from Brentwood to San Francisco Bay. No one took him up on it so he didn't swim it."
MEMORIES OF Walter Winner Collis by Grandson, WALTER LEROY COLLIS
(as told to Marilyn Parker, June 4, 1988)
I remember little of the ranch in Brentwood; just going through the orchard between Grandma Collis' and our little shack, Grandpa sitting in the rocking chair on the porch with tears rolling down his cheeks because he hurt so bad. Yet Grandpa always had time to play with me. Whenever I'd come, he'd hold me on his lap.
I can remember Grandma chasing him around, telling him, "Walter! do this." Boy! He'd move. She was just a little tiny squirt. We used to gather around the piano and sing the old traditional stuff on Christmas Eve. Money was tight so we would go out and cut down a tree whether it was pine or whatever, and decorate it with homemade decorations. I remember stringing popcorn, making chains and paper decorations.
Grandpa Collis was a big man, religious, a blacksmith, 6 feet 1 inch on one foot and 6 feet 2 inches on the other; A big man with big arms. He wouldn't hurt a fly. He fell across a ladder picking fruit and developed cancer of the bladder.
!BIRTH: Berry Street, 10 pm (William Collis family bible in possession of Marilyn Parker)
!MARRIAGE: Marriage Cert. in possession of Laura Mae Just. (I have a copy)
1870 United States Federal Census
Name: Walter W Collis
Age in 1870: 2
Birth Year: abt 1868
Birthplace: California
Home in 1870: San Francisco Ward 9, San Francisco, California
Race: White
Gender: Male
Post Office: San Francisco
Value of real estate:
Household Members: Name Age
Wm Collis 43 (male citizen of US)
Annie E Collis 41
Ada A Collis 16
Wm A Collis 15
Austin W Collis 6
Rachel Collis 4
Walter W Collis 2
*1880 United States Federal Census
Name: Walter W. Collis
Home in 1880: Township 5, Contra Costa, California
Age: 11
Estimated birth year: abt 1869
Birthplace: California
Relation to head-of-household: Son
Father's name: William
Father's birthplace: Eng
Mother's name: Esther A.
Mother's birthplace: Eng
Occupation: Going To School
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Gender: Male
Household Members: Name Age
William Collis 54
Esther A. Collis 51
William A. Collis 24
Austin W. Collis 15
Rachael Collis 12
Walter W. Collis 11
Florence E. Collis 10
Lillian E. Collis 8
1900 United States Federal Census
Name: Walter Collis
Age: 33
Birth Date: Sep 1866
Birthplace: California
Home in 1900: Supervisors District 5, Contra Costa, California
Race: White
Gender: Male
elation to Head of House:
pouse's Name: Laura Collis
Marriage Year: 1893
Years Married: 7
Father's Birthplace: England
Mother's Birthplace: England
Occupation: Farmer rented farm
Household Members: Name Age
Walter Collis 33 farmer
Laura Collis 33
Hazel Collis 5
Russel Collis 3
Gladys Collis 2
*1910 United States Federal Census
Name: Walter L Collis
Age in 1910: 42
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1868
BirthPlace: California
Relation to Head of House: Head
Father's Birth Place: England
Mother's Birth Place: England
Spouses's Name: Lora
Home in 1910: Diamond, Whitman, Washington
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Blacksmith, own shop (own it free, house)
Race: White
Gender: Male
Household Members: Name Age
Walter L 42
Lora Collis 44
Hazel Collis 15
Russel Collis 13
Gladys Collis 11
Wynner Collis 9
Edgar Collis 2
1920 United States Federal Census
Name: Walter W Callis
Home in 1920: Brentwood, Contra Costa, California, Oak Street
Age: 51 years
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1869
Birthplace: California
Relation to Head of House: Head
Occupation: Construction, House builder, for wages
Spouse's Name: Laura E
Father's Birth Place: England
Mother's Birth Place: England
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Sex: Male
Home owned: Own farm
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Image: 492
Household Members: Name Age
Walter W Callis 51
Laura E Callis 53
Edgar D Callis 12
Samuel S Logan 37 boarder, builder, house builder
Roy C Motter 21 boarder, painter, house builder
1930 United States Federal Census
Name: Laura S Collis
Birth Year: abt 1867
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birthplace: California
Marital Status: Widowed
Relation to Head of House: Mother-in-law
Home in 1930: Oakland, Alameda, California
Map of Home: View Map
Street address: 76th Ave
Block: 3099
House Number in Cities or Towns: 1446
Dwelling Number: 255
Family Number: 262
Age at First Marriage: 27
Attended School: No
Able to Read and Write: Yes
Father's Birthplace: Missouri
Mother's Birthplace: Missouri
Able to Speak English: Yes
Household Members:
Name Age
Elmer F Ping 32
Gladys E Ping 30
Frank E Ping 57
Mary E Ping 52
Laura S Collis 63
1940 United States Federal Census
Name: Laura Collis
Age: 73
Estimated birth year: abt 1867
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birthplace: California
Marital Status: Widowed
Relation to Head of House: Mother-in-law
Home in 1940: Sacramento, Sacramento, California
Map of Home in 1940: View Map
Street: 13 Avenue
House Number: 4964
Inferred Residence in 1935: Sacramento, Sacramento, California
Residence in 1935: Same Place
Sheet Number: 10A
Attended School or College: No
Highest Grade Completed: Elementary school, 5th grade
Weeks Worked in 1939: 0
Income: 0
Income Other Sources: No
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Elmer Ping 44
Gladyce Ping 41
Laura Collis 73
Edgar Collis 32
!DEATH: died age 62, State file #5389 vol. 10 page 1322, buried:Brentwood Union Cemetary
findagrave.com
Walter W. Collis..
Birth: 1864
Death: 1930
Burial:
Union Cemetery
Brentwood
Contra Costa County
California, USA
From the dawn of the Iron Age through the 19th century, the blacksmith trade grew in demand and became increasingly specialized in the process. America would not even exist were it not for the smithy. Indeed, civilization itself is indebted to the blacksmith for virtually all material innovation up to the advent of the factory floor. The importance of the blacksmith cannot be overstated. But then, something happened: machines.
The smithy trade began to decline in the mid-19th century, as machines began to produce items that were formerly made by the blacksmith. At first it was the simple things: nails, hooks, fence rods. In time, more complex products were machine-crafted, such as hinges and barbed wire. The smithy simply couldn't compete with the economics of machine-crafted implements, a phenomenon that soon gave rise to a virtuous cycle of machine-dominance in the production of most material goods. What the machines didn't take from the smithy was soon eaten by other competitive innovations and historical events:
Ransom E. Olds' <http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/story002.htm> re-introduction of the assembly line <http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/story002.htm> (circa 1901) to meet demand for the new "horseless carriage" meant the smithy's skill in shaping iron rims for wheelwrights was rendered superfluous to transportation needs.
Soon thereafter, the extensive adoption of large open-geared tractors negatively impacted demand for simply farm tools, horse shoes, and other finely crafted items previously considered agricultural necessities.
The Great Depression killed a last bastion of the blacksmith market niche when architectural ironwork <http://www.appaltree.net/aba/education/historical/1910%20to%201970.htm> became a symbol of a luxury-laden bygone age. In a matter of less than 100 years after Longfellow's poem was published, the vital trade of smithy was all but dead.
. research Holt Harvester Co during 1910-1930:
History Of Holt Harvester Co
1883 The Stockton Wheel Company was established by Benjamin and Charles Holt.
1886 The first Holt "link belt" combined harvester was sold, replacing unreliable mechanical
geared harvesters.
1890 Benjamin Holt unveiled his version of the steam traction engine with new, patented steering
clutches.
1892 The Stockton Wheel Company was incorporated as The Holt Manufacturing Company.
1904 Benjamin Holt tested a steam powered machine that moved on self-laying tracks instead of
wheels. He named this invention the "Caterpillar".
1931 Marysville Tractor & Equipment Co. was formed by Daniel W. Beatie to cover Marysville,CA
1935 Roseville facility in Placer County was opened.
1939 Holt Bros. was formed by Parker M. Holt and Harry D. Holt to cover Santa Maria, California.
|
1868 - 1930 (61 years)
